Middlings-purifier



(NoModeL) J. J. .HENDRICKSON & G W. BERSTLER. Middlings-Purifie-r! N0.228,070. Fl G Pqten'ted May 25,

J Vnmsszs bum/W05. I a ,J nMr/v UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

JUSTUS J. HENDRIOKSON AND GEORGE W. BERSTLER, OF NORRISTOWN,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

MlDDLlNGS-PURIFIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,070, dated May 25,1880.

Application filed March 11, 1880.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J USTUS J. HENDRICK- soN and GEORGE W. BERSTLER,both citizens of the United States, residing in Norristown, Montgomerycounty, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Middlings-Purifiers, &c., of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to so construct a machine for purifyingmiddlings or like substances, or for both purifying and separating thesame, that the effective action of the currents of air will be insuredand the force of said currents regulated with nicety. These objects weattain in the manner which wewill now proceed to describe, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is asectional plan view of our improved machine; Fig. 2, a longitudinalsection on the line 1 2; Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line 3 4:;Fig. 4, a plan View of one end of the machine, and Fig. 5 a section ofpart of Fig. 2 drawn to an enlarged scale.

The machine belongs to that class in which a rotating screen isemployed, A representing the screen, B the box or casing inclosing thesame, and D the fan-box. The screen is, in the present instance, of theusual hexagonal form; but, instead of being continuous, as usual, it iscomposed of a number of independent sections, four of which are shown inthe drawings. These sections are all carried by the shaft E, which turnsin suitable bearings, and is driven by any desired system of gearing,the sections of the screen, however, differing in diameter. Thus thesection a at the inlet end of the machine is the smallest, the section asomewhat larger, the next section, a still larger, and so on, thedischarge end of one section projecting slightly into the mouth of theadjoining section, so as to form annular passages 1) between the two.(See Fig. 5.)

The interior of the casing B is divided by a series of partitions, cl,into a number of chambers, 6, one for each section of the screen. Thesepartitions have openings for the reception of the screen, that portionof each opening not occupied by the screen being closed by a flange, f,formed on or secured to the end of that section of the screen adjacentto which the partition is arranged, so that the direct (No model.)

second chamber, 6, in like manner communicating with the sections a anda and so on.

Air enters the chambers 6 through openings 9 g in the sides of thecasing B, these open ings being provided with suitable valves t', by

- the adjustment of which the admission of air to any one of thechambers may be readily governed.

The machine has the usual feed-spout m and tailing-box a, and in thelower portion of the casin g B are the ordinary endless screws forconveying and discharging the screened and purified middlings. The shaftE is also inclined slightly, as usual, so as to impart the proper degreeof pitch to the screen A.

The operation of the machine is as follows:' The screen being rotatedand the fan put in operation, a supply of middlings is permitted to flowthrough the spout m into the first section, a, of the screen, in whichthe middlings are agitated and subjected to the action of the air, whichenters the screen through the wire-cloth or other covering of the same.As the middlings pass from the section a into the section a of thescreen they are subjected to the action of a strong current of air fromthe annular passage 2) between the sections a a, and this treatment isrepeated as the middlings pass from the section a into the section a andthus to the end of the machine,

where the tailings are discharged into the box a. The fluff and otherlight impurities are separated from the flour by the agitation and i therepeated currents of air to which the middlings are subjected in theirpassage through the screen, the flour or purified middlings being siftedthrough the screen, and the impurities being drawn off by the fan anddischarged into a suitable receptacle.

The strength of the current of air through the meshes of each section ofthe screen and through each of the passages b is regulated IOO byadjusting the valves i, and thereby governing the admission of air toeach of the charm bers e.

The sectional screen might be used in connection with a casing, B, theinterior of which was not divided into a series of chambers, the latterconstruction, however, being of course preferred, for by thus localizingthe supplies of air, and regulating the force of each supplyindependently of the others, the attendant may regulate the supplies ofair with such nicety that the best possible effect on the mid dlin gswill be insured.

If the blast is of such strength that some of the heavier or valuableportions of the middlings are carried off with the light impurities,pivoted plates 8, arranged within the casing B on each side of thefan-box, may be adjusted so as to present an obstruction to the directpassage of material to the interior of said fan-box, the heavierparticles being thus arrested and directed back into the tailingbox it.

When it is desired to lessen the force of the draft through the machine,valves t t on the top of the casing B may be adjusted so as to uncover,to a greater or less extent, openings to in said casing, therebypermitting a direct passage of air to the fan.

The invention may be adopted with advantage in flour-bolts orothermachines analogous to middlings-purifiers.

Although we have shown in the drawings a screen composed of foursections, the screen may be composed of but two sections, or any numbergreater than two.

We claim as our inventionl. The combination, in a middlings-purifier oranalogous machine, of an outer box or casin g, a draft apparatus, and arotating screen or cylinder made in sections of different diameters,said sections being arranged in respect to each other as described,whereby annular air-passages are formed between the sections, as setforth. 7

2. The combination of a rotating cylinder or screen made in sections,arranged in re spect to each other so as to form air-passages b, with adraft apparatus and with an outer box or casing, the interior of whichis divided into a series of non-communicating chambers, each having avalved air-supply opening or openings, all substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the box B, having partitions d, with a screen madein sections adapted to openings in the partitions, and having flanges ffor closing those portions of the openings not occupied by the screen,as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JUSTUS J. HENDRIGKSON. GEO. W. BERSTLER.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. TOBIN, HARRY SMITH.

